Today he was venting and he realized it must be hard for me to listen to him be depressed all the time. He also said, "Don't ever feel bad about ending this relationship or not loving me."

Then I'm very much like him in some ways. He knows it's probably going to happen eventually and has probably emotionally prepared himself for that and already accepted that it's going to happen. I've made that speech to more than one friend, almost in those words.

I'm not sure how to really feel about that

I don't think there's a right way to feel about it. :/ When I say that to a friend, it means that I've basically given up on hoping that they'll always care about me or be close to me. I still love them, but it means I've tried to prepare myself for the moment when they need to step out of my life forever, and that they might hate me or just not be involved in my life soon.

My advice from before still stands as well. Be careful, but be kind. It's probably also hard on him if he knows or suspects that you don't intend to marry him or date long term.

Honestly if you want my opinion, I think you'll end up stepping out of his life because of the pressure with the depression and venting, and also because of the distance. I think you'll get to your new school, make new friends, and one day realize you don't really want/need to deal with the stress of an LDR or his pain anymore, and you'll probably break up with him, and you'll both barely talk to each other after that. I think that he'll end up very hurt if that happens, but that it's probably what will.

I should emphasize that there's nothing wrong with that, it's just what I imagine will happen based on how you've talked about the relationship. But I've been wrong before. But if he's anything like me, he already suspects all this and knows it might happen and it's very, very hard on him. But the only way to know would be to ask.

Just be careful when you do--he may not be the type to be abusive, and him reacting like that makes me think he's just over-protective moreso than abusive, but be careful either way.

he said he would teach me self-defense so maybe I can utilize that if something ever happens.

Quick caveat---I don't know that he seems as abusive as I thought from the post; maybe so, maybe not. He seems just hyper-protective, and there's nothing wrong with that.....but the caveat is this: understand that if he's a trained fighter, he can teach you little helps and basics, but it wouldn't be enough to stop him if he decided he wanted to hurt you. Basics will keep an idiot or a drunk off you, but it can take years to know combat well enough to defend against a trained assailant. All I'm saying is if he teaches you a little, don't count on it to protect you in a physical altercation with him unless you sprint to a safer place. :/

I don't know what to tell you really :/ it seems like this is going to end badly regardless. :/